Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Insects (assorted) Page 14

Image Taken on 28 Aug 2025 at 13:18 Image of day on 20 Oct 2025

Not a great year for Ladybirds, but ALL those that we have seen this year have been the UK native 7-spot Ladybird.
Not a sign of the invading Harlequins at our location, though it seems that countrywide they are as prevalent as ever.

Ref: 20251020_d72_20250828_1318_131 7-spot ladybird(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 19 Sep 2014 at 15:46 Image of day on 28 Nov 2014

Seeing this ladybird at the beginning of autumn reminded us that after a flurry in the spring, we saw very few in the summer. This is our regular 7-spot species, and relief at seeing very few Harlequin invaders this year.

Ref: 20141128_df2_20140919_1546_531 7-spot ladybird(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 31 Aug 2013 at 08:36 Image of day on 21 Oct 2013

On a Dandelion leaf we made our first recorded sighting here of the tiny 22-spot ladybird.

Ref: 20131021_p10_20130831_0836_983 22-spot ladybird (first ever image) on dandelion leaf (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 03 Mar 2007 at 10:39 Image of day on 11 Mar 2007

Warm enough to tempt out this Ladybird for a walk on the violets.

Ref: 20070311_p34_20070303_1039_541 ladybird and violets(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 30 Oct 2010 at 12:29 Image of day on 01 Jan 2011

Talking of 7-spot ladybird - this dead hogweed seems to be a good place for them to cluster in the sunshine.

Ref: 20110101_p34_20101030_1229_288 6 7-spot ladybird clustered in dead hogweed (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 10 Mar 2015 at 16:08 Image of day on 24 Apr 2015

The first Ladybird out and about this year, rather than comatose in some protected cranny. This is our most common - the 7-spot ladybird - sunning itself on a piece of Lichen.

Ref: 20150424_df2_20150310_1608_269 7-spot ladybird in blackthorn hedge on piece of yellow lichen (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Feb 2007 at 11:31 Image of day on 25 Feb 2007

This ladybird was hiding in the creases in the bark of a diseased elm.

Ref: 20070225_p34_20070217_1131_918 ladybird in elm bark(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Aug 2009 at 11:36 Image of day on 24 Sep 2009

Ref: 20090924_da1_20090809_1136_066+1234_165_ft1 7-spot ladybird in flight with hawthorn twig (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Jun 2019 at 12:32 Image of day on 03 Aug 2019

A 7-spot Ladybird Larva on a mint leaf.

Ref: 20190803_df5_20190614_1232_001 7-spot ladybird larva on mint leaf(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Aug 2019 at 10:49 Image of day on 26 Sep 2019

Not many Ladybirds of any sort at the moment, so we're pleased to see this native 7-spot walking around on the Blackberry leaves, undoubtedly in search of their favourite food - Aphids.

Ref: 20190926_df3_20190808_1049_002 7-spot ladybird on blackberry leaf(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 30 Mar 2014 at 12:47 Image of day on 18 May 2014

This 7-spot ladybird has chosen a blackberry leaf to sun itself.
Ladybirds are surprisingly active even near freezing temperatures as we discovered when researching appearances of insects in UV light - see Seven spot ladybird in UV. Even at 4 degrees C one was walking about rather than torpid like most other insects at the temperature. Once warmed up all the insects went back unharmed to where we found them.

Ref: 20140518_p10_20140330_1247_752 7-spot ladybird on blackberry leaf (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 22 Mar 2023 at 10:13 Image of day on 28 Apr 2023

All the Ladybirds we have seen so far have been 7-spot Ladybirds - no signs of Harlequins yet, but that won't last.

Ref: 20230428_df3_20230322_1013_005 7-spot ladybird on blackberry leaf (1st of 2023)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Sep 2018 at 09:59 Image of day on 24 Oct 2018

There has been a severe dearth of Ladybirds this year, but those we have seen are mostly the native 7-spot species photographed here, rather than more recent years predominantly 'Harlequins'.

Ref: 20181024_df3_20180902_0959_072 7-spot ladybird on debris from clearing scrub in meadow(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 30 Mar 2014 at 12:45 Image of day on 18 May 2014

We are pleased to see 7-spot Ladybirds in many sunlit patches. Here one of several sunning themselves on a Lodgepole pine cone.

Ref: 20140518_p10_20140330_1245_746 7-spot ladybird on developing lodgepole pine cone(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Sep 2023 at 10:35 Image of day on 09 Nov 2023

A really poor year for Ladybirds here this year - this is the first we have noticed for weeks.
It's a 7-spot Ladybird - a common UK species rather than the almost absent Harlequins.

Ref: 20231109_df3_20230914_1035_069 7-spot ladybird on fresh stinging nettle leaf(r+mb id@432).jpg

Image Taken on 28 Sep 2024 at 09:42 Image of day on 11 Nov 2024

Ladybirds have been around in much smaller numbers than usual this year. We normally get an invasion in the house that just hasn't happened this year. But we are now seeing a few - so far all British 7-spot rather than the invading Harlequins.

Ref: 20241111_d72_20240928_0942_038 7-spot ladybird on mint seed head(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Sep 2024 at 11:02 Image of day on 31 Oct 2024

Both native and Harlequin Ladybirds have appeared in unusually low numbers this year. Here this 7-spot Ladybird was one of two on this thistle plant - the first of any Ladybirds that we have seen for weeks.

Ref: 20241031_df3_20240917_1102_113 7-spot ladybird on thistle leaves(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 13 Jul 2009 at 12:36 Image of day on 08 Sep 2009

This year 7-spot ladybirds outnumber the Harlequin invader several to one. This chance photo is the result of a set of 'framing exposures'. For the uninitiated, enthusiast's cameras can usually be set to take 3 or more sets of images per shutter press at nominal, underexposed and overexposed so that you can be fairly sure of getting a decent one. But as the camera took the 3 images the insect flipped under the leaf. So we used the paint package to adjust the exposures to roughly match to build this little sequence.

Ref: 20090908_p34_20090713_1236_283+284+295 7-spot ladybird swinging under leaf (approx 700ms interval montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Aug 2009 at 11:24 Image of day on 24 Sep 2009

At last - a 7-spot ladybird willing to fly indoors!
Put it on a leaf, it walked to the light, waiting a moment at the tip, and off it flew. Another 7-spot alternated with it preferred to walk back up the twig and hide. Never realised the wings have a little spot matching the carapace.

Ref: 20090924_da1_20090809_1124_018+019_ft1 7-spot ladybird takeoff and in flight (montage about 250ms apart)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 22 Sep 2025 at 13:45 Image of day on 12 Nov 2025

Ladybirds fade with age.
Is the UV in sunlight responsible for this fading like on so many human artifacts?

Ref: 20251112_d72_20250922_1345_022 7-spot ladybird with age faded colours on desiccated thistle(r+mb id@432).jpg

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